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Shamanism Blog
By Scott Silverston
Shamanism is the practice of entering an altered state of consciousness for a specific purpose and then returning to normal waking consciousness once that purpose is fulfilled. Various names such as the Dreamtime have been given to the Shamanic state of consciousness; and a large variety of methods have been used by various cultures to induce Shamanic states of being. The methods often vary by culture and practitioner, as well as by effectiveness, ease of use and the stress placed on the Shaman when transitioning between states of consciousness on a regular basis. The gifts and skills of Shamanism are intentionally cultivated and require specific methods of preparation for the Shaman to silence their internal dialogue, quiet their logical/thinking mind, and experience the spiritual communications being received in this altered state of awareness.
Over time, with repetitive practice, each individual Shaman develops their own methodology for accessing the Spirit Mind and Shamanic states of consciousness. These methods are often passed down through a lineage or culture from generation to generation; but regardless of their origins or the methods used; whatever method the Shaman practices regularly becomes habit for the individual Shaman.
The more we practice a certain methodology, the more it becomes ingrained within our subconscious mind as THE PATHWAY for accessing our Spirit Mind and Shamanic states of consciousness. When we become habituated to a certain way of doing things, it is often very challenging to see other pathways, change our habits, or even accept or have an unbiased evaluation of the validity of other methodologies.
From this perspective, I ask myself if it is appropriate for me to allow the spirit of a powerful hallucinogen like Ayahuasca to become the pathway that I use to connect with the spirit world. Do I want to be dependent upon this plant spirit to access the Shamanic state of consciousness? Am I willing to risk not being able to access the Shamanic state of consciousness if Ayahuasca is not available? Am I willing to allow such a powerful plant spirit to become a gatekeeper; and to intermediate between me and the spirit world? What would be the cost of making such a deal? Are better alternatives available to me?
One of the gifts of modern society is that we have access to information from all over the world and can compare and contrast the effectiveness of the various methodologies and belief systems developed over time in different places and to determine which techniques are the best fit for our life. Within this context, we examine the alternatives to Ayahuasca and ask the question if habituating ourselves to a powerful hallucinogen is the most effective method of accessing shamanic consciousness in our personal life circumstances.
In my experience of teaching Shamanism, I find that many of my students who have previously used Ayahuasca in other circumstances start out experiencing difficulty quieting their minds and journeying without ingesting a hallucinogen. It often takes several attempts until they open new pathways to their spirit minds. With repeated practice of the new methodology, their journeys become increasingly clear over time.
For me, one of the biggest negative factors of using Ayahuasca is that the user is at the mercy of the plant for the duration and quality of the experience. He/she cannot enter and leave the Shamanic state of consciousness at will; but is dependent upon the availability of the substance to even start the journey, dependent upon the proper dosage for the intensity of the experience and at the whims of bio-chemistry to determine the timing of when the effects of the hallucinogenic compounds wear off allowing a return to ordinary waking consciousness.
I find these constraints to be irreconcilable with my modern lifestyle. How could I possibly function in other aspects of my life if I were dependent upon Ayahuasca or any other hallucinogen to access the Shamanic state of consciousness? How would I get my child to and from school, balance my checkbook and attend to the other mundane daily tasks of life in ordinary reality while still providing regular healing sessions and teaching classes? If I were using Ayahuasca to journey, I would be forced to choose between limiting the time I spend in the Shamanic state of consciousness and accepting a drastic reduction in my ability to function effectively in ordinary reality. For me, this is not an acceptable choice and I prefer to use a method that allows me to walk in both worlds.
One of the common arguments put forth by proponents of Ayahuasca is that the use of psychoactive and hallucinogenic plant preparations is traditionally found in many Shamanic cultures. Ayahuasca is a particularly powerful plant spirit and most, if not all, traditional users of it will have been introduced to its spirit and cultivated a relationship with it for years prior to ever ingesting it.
A person who was raised traditionally in a Shamanic culture that lives close to earth, gathers all their food, medicine and clothing and building materials directly from the earth, does not know electricity, cars, cell phones, supermarkets, plumbing, or a 40 hour work week approaches life from a drastically different perspective then someone who is born and raised in a modern culture.
Contrast that worldview to the modern societal experience of ordering your morning coffee at your favorite coffee shop, buying your clothes online and having them delivered, posting selfies on Instagram and working 9-5 under fluorescent lights. Whereas a modern person is so disconnected from the Earth that they generally have no idea where their food was grown or raised, a person living in a primitive society, close to the Earth, knows intimately and has cultivated a spiritual relationship with all the plants in his/her environment.
Every Shamanic culture understands that every plant has a spirit; and every child within that culture learns from birth how to communicate with those plant spirits. For most people raised in a modern society, the idea that a plant has a spirit and that one can communicate with that spirit is often beyond the realm of serious acknowledgement. Even for the 7% of modern society who embrace a holistic understanding of the world; many have only a mental, thinking idea of what it might be like to communicate with a plant spirit. Those of us who do communicate with plants in this way are few and far between and are doing so as non-native speakers to a spiritual language that a child living close to the Earth in a Shamanic society learns from birth.
For these reasons, a person who temporarily removes themselves from modern society for a day, weekend or week-long Ayahuasca retreat in the hopes of achieving transcendent and lasting healing often overlooks the reality that healing is an ongoing process of continuously developing a harmonious relationship with the self and the world around us. The time period after our Shamanic experiences and how we integrate those experiences are equally important to the experiences themselves. It is not a one-time enlightenment experience in which the healing occurs and now all is perfect; but rather it is the long-term follow up of how we live and act in the world after our awareness has been shifted from a shamanic experience that brings true and lasting healing.
When taken out of its cultural context, an Ayahuasca ceremony poses risks to the participant who suddenly finds him/herself back in a modern world that is devoid of others who can relate to their experience in any substantive or meaningful way. Compare the experience of a weekend Ayahuasca warrior to that of a tribal person whose entire village shares a similar awareness of Shamanic experiences and is available to support each individual as they move through whatever process is appropriate for them during the Ayahuasca ceremony itself and in the days, weeks and months that follow. The tribal individual is given as much time and spaciousness as he/her requires to complete the healing process; nobody will be “let go” if they fail to report on schedule to their fluorescently lit cubicle at 9am on Monday morning.
Reconciling the truths revealed in Shamanic journeys with the routines of a modern world so disconnected from the rhythms of nature and isolated from the social support of peers in day to day life is hard enough without adding the extremes of adding hallucinogenic over-drive to the mix. The after-effects of coming down from such an intense experience can be highly stressful; typically characterized by several days of blissful “knowing” that one has seen the truth; followed by increasing despair that the “truth” shown is not aligned with modern, day to day, ordinary reality. What seemed so clear and profound during the jungle retreat or weekend Ayahuasca Ceremony slips away as steadily as each sunset is followed by another and can create extreme distress and a longing to escape back to the dream of the plant spirit.
Although Ayahuasca can greatly intensify a Shamanic experience; achieving increasingly higher levels of intensity is not necessarily a positive thing. It is vital that each person fully complete their process and come back to a place of stability before returning to ordinary reality or addressing the next layer of the healing process. Too much too fast is cathartic and damaging, not healing. Many traumatic life events are extremely intense and leave lasting negative imprints on the survivor. Matching the intensity of the trauma is not required in order to heal; the release of the trauma itself is intense enough and learning how to moderate the process to create a safe container in which a person can heal is essential.
Using the image of a river as a cleanser, a consistent and moderate flow allows the entire system to remain balanced and healthy. A flash flood will certainly dislodge more debris; but where does that debris land? Does the intensity of the experience destabilize the banks of the river so much that even moderate future rains bring excessive mud into the waters?
It is far preferable to take the middle road, a consistent path, moving like a river without end as opposed to oscillating between extreme catharsis and then stagnation.
From an Energy Body perspective; all hallucinogens stimulate a rapid movement of chi up the spine along the pathway of the micro-cosmic orbit. There is a natural regulator at the base of the skull in the occiput area which becomes overwhelmed by the high level of chi flow. This natural regulator is meant to slow the flow of chi as it moves around the back of the skull and towards the crown. There is specific risk of the chi bursting outward from its pathway and causing a psychotic break if it flows in excess in this part of the meridian. The particular points in danger for rupture lie between the acupuncture points Governing Vessel 16 (occiput) and G.V. 20 (crown). In fact, the point G.V. 16 is indicated for treatment if someone suffers from mania, excessive fear or suicidal thoughts. From a Shamanic perspective, a rupture in the energy pathways in this area leads to significant damage of a person’s psychic protection and severe vulnerability to unwanted middle world energies.
It is also important to understand that all hallucinogens function by bringing chi (vital life force energy) from the deeper organ layers of the body out to the surface and into the circulatory system where it is expended during the hallucinatory experience. This is the pathway of depletion and therefore regular use of hallucinogens over time will lead to depletion of organ functioning, a loss of vitality and eventually a decrease in longevity. Reversing these depleting effects takes time and diligent practice of learning how to lead the healing chi back to the kidneys and deeper organ layers.
Perhaps someone is suffering such spiritual pain that they are willing to sacrifice their long term health and vitality to heal what is so damaging to their current quality of life; however when effective alternatives to the Shamanic pathway exist, I see no logical reason to make this choice.
My personal choice for a methodology of inducing the Shamanic state of consciousness is the use of a drum without ingesting any substances. If, for some reason, I am finding it challenging to quiet my logical mind; a simple ceremony of lighting sage and a candle, saying a prayer, invocation, and singing a song will immediately slow me down, silence my internal dialogue and allow me to enter my spirit mind with ease. As I have practiced this method with the drum over time; I have developed a protocol and habit which effective at inducing a deep Shamanic state of consciousness at will and which also allows me the freedom to return at will at a time of my choosing. The side effects are nil, the benefits are great, and the consistent practice of Shamanic Journeying with a drum continues to bring me countless blessings, immense personal growth and a clear understanding of my place of right relationship in the Web of Life.
To Learn More about Shamanic Spirit Medicine and Shamanism Courses by Scott Silverston please click here.
